Bulls select Wendell Carter Jr. with No. 7 pick

With the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls drafted Duke center Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter Jr. was overshadowed sharing the frontcourt with Marvin Bagley III at Duke, but he was impressive in his own right. The clever 19-year-old adapted his skills around Bagley's single-mindedness on offense and demonstrated both strong defensive chops and a promising outside jumper. He recorded 3.1 blocks per 40 minutes and made 41 percent of his threes.

Not excelling at any particular skill, however, could work against him. He's not a dominant scorer or a lockdown defender. Versatility is a hard sell for a high lottery pick, even if his game will likely translate better to the pros than other centers in this draft.

Wendell Carter Bio

Position: C
School: Duke
College Experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 260 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot-4
Max vertical: 40 inches

Strengths

• Versatile scorer. Doesn't dominate the ball but can face up, drive, and finish strong inside.
• Jumper is a bit flat, but he's confident in the shot. Can spot-up from deep and create space in the high post as defenders will need to respect his range.
• Intuitive defender. Uses his bulky frame to absorb contact on verticality contests. Quick on his feet to switch. Played around the basket a lot in Duke's zone defense.
• Powerful rebounder. Knows how to use his size to box out.

Weaknesses

• Turnover prone, especially in the post. Not comfortable making a quick move then finishing at the basket.
• Slightly undersized at center.
• Somewhat slow feet, although he wasn't able to play much on the perimeter in Duke's zone defense.
• Not a surefire scorer. Will need to contribute in several areas to be an effective player.